Exercise Based on Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation in Older Individuals

Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul

Status: Completed

Conditions: Sarcopenia in Elderly; Dynapenia; Functional Disability

Treatments: Other: Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation; Other: Physical exercise without proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation control group

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06690944

URioGrandePNF

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this clinical trial was to determine whether an intervention using resisted sit-to-stand and walking exercises with Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) techniques improved gait and sit-to-stand in older individuals with poor functional capacity compared to a control group that performed the same activities, but without manual resistance. The main questions it aimed to answer were:

Did an exercise program based on the PNF concept improve functional capacity and strength performance?

Was there a difference between an exercise program with or without PNF techniques on functional capacity and strength in older adults?

Researchers compared the effects of an exercise program based on the PNF concept to a similar exercise training without manual resistance on functional capacity and strength performance.

Participants participated in an intervention using resisted sit-to-stand and walking exercises with or without PNF and performed functional capacity and strength tests at the beginning and end of the intervention.

Full description

The proposal consisted of investigating an exercise intervention based on the Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation concept (PFNG), compared to a control group (CG), which performed the same exercises as PNFG under a therapist's supervision, but without resistance imposed by the therapist's hands as in PFNG, in older individuals.

Before data collection, individuals participated in a familiarization procedure for each test. Each specific test was conducted on the same equipment with identical participant/equipment positioning. Functional assessment and intervention were conducted at the participants' residences.

The CG intervention consisted of the same activities carried out in the PNFG during Stages 1 and 2, for the same amount of minutes, sessions, and weeks. However, the CG intervention did not include specific techniques and basic principles (i.e., approximation and optimal resistance) and procedures of the PNF concept. The activities were instructed and supervised by a trained professional through verbal commands. The professional was in a stand-by assistant position to prevent accidents. Each intervention lasted 30 minutes and took place twice a week, for 4 weeks, totaling 8 meetings. The interventions were supervised by researchers blinded to pre-intervention assessment results and randomly assigned for both PNF and control groups. The researchers responsible for the interventions were physical therapists with basic IPNFA® (International Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Association) instruction.

Enrollment: 26 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 65+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Short Physical Performance Battery score lower than 10 points.

Exclusion criteria

• Neurodegenerative diseases;
• Illnesses contraindicating exercise (e.g., uncontrolled arrhythmias, acute myocardial infarction);
• Unstable medical condition.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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26 participants in 2 patient groups

Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Group

Experimental group

Description:

The Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation group (PNFG) intervention consisted of applying PNF concept exercises and techniques related to facilitating sitting and walking, carried out by a therapist with basic IPNFA® (International Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Association) instruction. The PNF intervention was divided into two stages: Stage 1: which consisted of facilitating stability and controlled mobility of the initial position and phases 1, 2, 3, of the sit-up. At the initial position, we applied PNF stabilizing reversals technique for 2 minutes, to stimulate stability in the upright sitting position. In phase 1, we applied PNF to stimulate controlled mobility of the anterior inclination of the erect trunk. In Phase 2, to improve the concentric and eccentric control of lower limb extensor muscles and, in Phase 3 to improve the stability in an upright position again. Stage 2: consists of facilitating activities related to gait.

Treatment:

Other: Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation

Physical exercise without proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation control group

Active Comparator group

Description:

The physical exercise without proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation control group (CG) Intervention consisted of the same activities carried out in the proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation group (PNFG) during Stages 1 and 2, during the same amount of minutes, sessions, and weeks; however, CG intervention did not include specific techniques and basic principles (i.e. approximation and optimal resistance) and procedures of the PNF concept. The activities were instructed and supervised by a trained professional through verbal command. The professional was at stand-by assistant position to prevent accidents.

Treatment:

Other: Physical exercise without proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation control group